Guraidhoo () is one of the inhabited islands of
Kaafu Atoll
Kaafu Atoll is the code name given to an administrative division in the Republic of Maldives which consists of the geographical atolls of Kaashidhoo Island, Gaafaru, North Malé Atoll and South Malé Atoll. As the two Malé Atolls are the main i ...
in the
Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
.
Geography
Guraidhoo Kandu, a protected marine area in South Male Atoll, boasts multiple dive sites, with two primary channels – Lhosfushi Kandu and Guraidho
Kandu
The island is south of the country's capital,
Malé
Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 211,908 in 2022 within its administrative area and coterminous geographical area of , Malé is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city i ...
.
Guraidhoo is less than long and wide. It is located in South Malé Atoll.
Guraidhoo is about from
Male Airport – the only way you can reach it is by boat.
Demography
Economy
Infrastructure
Guraidhoo has about 3000 locals (2023) Guraidhoo has the only
psychiatric facility in the Maldives.
On 26 March 2021 BML introduces Self-Service Banking in Kaafu Guraidhoo.
Sport
Guraidhoo is recognized for its
surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
and turtle snorkeling,
dolphins
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...
, sand banks, and diving spots plus wind surfing water sports and dolphin back riding.
Transport
The public MTCC ferry takes 2 hours and 15 min to reach Guraidhoo. The Escape speedboat ferry takes 45 min.
Speedboat ferry:
*Guaraidhoo to Male
*Male to Guaraidhoo
Price 2023 25 USD per person.
There are 3 departures every day from both Malé and Guraidhoo
Public MTCC ferry (no. 309)
*Guraidhoo to Male
*Male to Guraidhoo
Price 2023 22 MVR per person
The ferry departs from Guraidoo Saturday to Thursday at 7 am
From Malé it departs Saturday to Thursday at 2.30-3 pm
References
Islands of the Maldives
{{Maldives-geo-stub